MADRIDBilbao
SPAIN200 yardsCASCO VIEJOABANDOURIBARRILA VIEJABILBAOBILBAO
Plaza Nueva
Las SieteCallesAzkuna ZentroaMuseo de Bellas ArtesGuggenheim Museum
Zubizuri footbridgeMercado dela RiberaPlaza de MoyúaRiver^NerviónEtxebarriaParkDoña CasildaParkESSENTIALS
PROMENADE BILBAO
BEST FOR: DEVOURING GILDAS
Calle Ledesma runs parallel to the main
shopping drag, Gran Vía, and is lined with
bars and terraces. It lends itself superbly
to a spot of bar-hopping, although tiny
Vermutería Promenade, with its slim yellow
frontage, can be easy to miss. Seek it out,
largely because it does one of the best gildas
in Bilbao. Made with anchovies, olives and
green chillis, this pintxo is said to be named
after the 1946 Rita Hayworth film Gilda.
promenadebilbao.com
CAFÉ DEL ARENAL
BEST FOR: CHURROS
On the fringes of the Old Town, this cafe
isn’t much to look at — expect slot machines,
tired neon, and a TV showing pop music
— but serves up an irresistible treat in the
form of its hot chocolate and churros. The
chocolate is ludicrously thick and rich;
the churros are crunchy tendrils of warm,
sugared dough fresh from the kitchen. Bag a
seat outside, in the shadow of the Iglesia de
San Nicolás de Bari, and get dunking.
facebook.com/cafeteriaarenal
CAFÉ IRUÑA
BEST FOR: ELABORATE DECOR
Overlooking the Jardines de Albia since it
opened its doors in 1903, this stunning cafe
still feels like some half-dreamt Moorish
fantasy, with glazed tiles, painted murals,
wood carvings and a tasselled valance above
the bar. It’s a relatively large venue, split into
multiple areas, but the main event, food-
wise, is the grill in the far corner, where lamb
kebabs are spiced and cooked to order. As
late-night snacks go, it takes some beating.
cafeirunabilbao.netLA VIÑA DEL ENSANCHE
BEST FOR: OLD-WORLD AMBIANCE
Across the street from El Globo, La Viña del
Ensanche has been in business since 1927.
It retains a pleasantly bygone feel, with
tulip-shaped lampshades, dozens of ageing
postcards on the walls and huge legs of ham
hanging above the bar. This acorn-fed jamón,
cut wafer-thin, is what the bar is famous for,
but there’s a broad range of other pintxos to
try. In 1996, the bar opened a produce shop to
sell the in-demand ingredients and wines on
its menu. avinadelensanche.com/enGetting there and around
Bilbao is typically served by non-stop
flights from London and Manchester,
with airlines such as British Airways,
EasyJet, Ryanair and Vueling. Aer
Lingus flies direct from Dublin.
ba.com easyjet.com ryanair.com
vueling.com aerlingus.com
Average flight time: 2h.
Brittany Ferries sails between Bilbao
and Portsmouth and Rosslare, with
up to three sailings a week in each
direction. There are also sailings
between nearby Santander and
Portsmouth (three times a week,
both directions) and Plymouth (once
a week, both directions).
brittany-ferries.co.uk
Average sailing time: 24h.
Bilbao is easy to cover on foot, but its
metro and tram system is efficient.
Fares start from €1.60 (£1.40) and
€1.50 (£1.30) respectively. The airport
is easily reached by public transport.When to go
Late spring and autumn are the best
times to visit, avoiding the intense
heat and high prices of the peak
summer months and the wetter days
of winter and early spring.Places mentioned
Los Fueros. losfueros.com
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.
guggenheim-bilbao.eus
Café Bar Bilbao. bilbao-cafebar.com
Bohemian Lane.
bohemianlanebilbao.comMore info
Bilbao Tourism bilbaoturismo.netHow to do it
BRITTANY FERRIES has ferry-and-
hotel packages, at Bilbao’s four-star
Hotel Abando, from £389 per person,
including a four-berth cabin with
return sailings. brittany-ferries.co.uk
LOVEHOLIDAYS has four nights at the
four-star NYX Hotel Bilbao in
December on a room-only basis, from
£233 per person, including flights and
flight amendments. loveholidays.comGure Toki pintxo bar,
where specialities
include cheese soupILLUSTRATION: JOHN PLUMER130 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
BILBAO